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Stidham: Stay or Go article


aucanucktiger

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Cringing somewhat at citing to Al.com but some of us have been suggesting this since the LSU game. If we had a clear QB with more top tier experience waiting in the wings that would be one thing (and the wisdom of going the Bryant route is a long discussion - see e.g. below) but IMHO his coming back next season could be good for us and great for him. My biggest reservation is whether he's mentally into another year of college ball, there have been signs he's already checked out. Anyway, take a gander....

 

For Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham, the choice to stay or go is clear

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is a redshirt junior who is believed to be considering leaving school this year for the NFL Draft.
Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham is a redshirt junior who is believed to be considering leaving school this year for the NFL Draft. (Madison Ogletree)

Jarrett Stidham can still be one of the country’s top quarterbacks. He can still be a first-round draft pick. He can still accomplish all the things he has dreamed about.

He’s just going to have to return to Auburn to do it.

This season hasn’t worked out the way Stidham (and his handlers) planned it, and now he finds himself at a crossroads. Should he take his chances in the 2019 NFL Draft, or should he take his chances with Gus Malzahn for another season of college football? The correct answer is obvious. There is an assumption that Stidham’s days at Auburn are coming to an end. Why? Going pro now would be a mistake.

From a perception standpoint, transferring to a third school in five years could be worse.

On Wednesday, Stidham was asked about his future at Auburn, and he said he wasn’t yet thinking about it. He shouldn’t have to think about it at all after such a disappointing and frustrating season. Walking away from Auburn now would potentially cost him millions of dollars.

Stidham entered this season as a possible Heisman candidate and a quarterback with first-round potential. Is he even a third-round pick at this point? He’s tied for 11th in the SEC in touchdown passes (10) with Nick Fitzgerald of Mississippi State. If Stidham’s draft grade is a question, then it’s not even a question. He should return to school.

Last week, Stidham was ranked after Ryan Finley of N.C. State and Clayton Thorson of Northwestern in a list of draft-eligible quarterbacks. That was before Georgia. The hope was that Stidham could improve his draft stock with a strong performance against the rival Bulldogs, a defense with elite-level talent.

If anything, Stidham’s draft stock took another hit.

Georgia shut out Auburn in the second half, and running back Boobee Whitlow threw the Tigers’ only touchdown pass.

Stidham was 24 of 36 for 163 yards. Last year, he was 16 of 23 for 214 yards and three touchdowns. The difference? Auburn had a running game last year that took pressure off of the quarterback position. This season, Stidham is the featured offensive weapon, and he hasn’t been good enough to carry the offense.

He has thrown six touchdowns to four interceptions in conference play, and his completion percentage on third down is 50 percent. Leaving Auburn now is simply a gamble Stidham doesn’t have to take.

If Stidham is still seriously considering turning pro after this season, then all he needs to do is pop in the game film of his loss to Tennessee to make his decision.

Stidham has two choices. He can either walk away, and in so doing deflect that failure onto Auburn’s offensive line and play calling, or he can work to improve himself and his team next season. You might not be too familiar with the NFL Draft, but general managers and team presidents aren’t in the business of giving quarterbacks the benefit of the doubt on draft day.

Let me make this absolutely clear. If the people surrounding Stidham are advising him to leave Auburn and turn pro, then Stidham needs to surround himself with different people. This marriage between Stidham and Malzahn doesn’t have to end in divorce, and Stidham should know by now that life doesn’t always go the way you plan it.

There is a feeling among Auburn fans that the Tigers would be better next year without Stidham. With whom? Just like in 2017, Stidham’s ability as a passer next season would give the Tigers the best chance of beating Georgia and Alabama.

Former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, who quit his team during the middle of the season, has visited Auburn while shopping himself to prospective teams. Does anyone remember what Alabama did against Bryant in last year’s College Football Playoff? Here’s a reminder: Clemson kicked two field goals, lost 24-6 and had 188 yards of total offense. Bryant passed for 124 yards and threw two interceptions.

Stidham, who would be a third-year starter in 2019, is a better quarterback than Bryant.

Before the Iron Bowl last year, Stidham’s passer efficiency rating in seven SEC games was 173.7. This year, only Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa has better numbers (196.58) going into his final conference game of the regular season.

Returning to that form and exceeding it should be Stidham’s goal for next season. Beating Tua in his final game at Jordan-Hare Stadium is how Stidham should want to go out. Auburn could get a glimpse of the future this weekend against Liberty in the Tigers’ final home game of 2018.

That future should include Stidham.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group. He’s on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.

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This is essentially the argument I've been making since early this season. I don't think he should go pro and I wouldn't recommend to him to do so. However, it seems pretty well known that he is going to leave. If we had a different staff maybe I'd think that we could make him better next year but I don't see it and I doubt Stidham does either. It's unlikely at this point that some of his character traits are going to change.

He's not a leader on the sideline, he's not a "competitor", he becomes a petrified kid when he doesn't feel safe in the pocket, and his accuracy has absolutely plummeted this season.

Here is the only sales pitch I see for Stidham to a NFL team, "he's a handsome well spoken drama free guy with great measurables". Honestly I think he could be a rather serviceable backup for a number of years but I can't see him being in the Brady/Newton/Rogers/Roethlisberger roles of carrying a team.

I hope for the best but, as of now, I just don't see the NFL being to promising for Stidham.

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yeah i don't see Stidham as sticking around for long in the NFL unless he gets in a great situation. Dude just has zero pocket presence and panicks under pressure. Some QBs scramble you find yourself waiting for something exciting to happen. When Stidham scrambles you brace yourself for disaster. I don't think QBs that melt under pressure can be successful in the NFL. But maybe he gets on a team when a solid OL and he will flourish. Its a little odd but i don't really care whether he stays or go. I don't see the W/L split changing all that much with or with out him. So good luck which ever you choose Stid

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5 minutes ago, Zeek said:

If we had a different staff maybe I'd think that we could make him better next year but I don't see it and I doubt Stidham does either. It's unlikely at this point that some of his character traits are going to change.

He's not a leader on the sideline, he's not a "competitor", he becomes a petrified kid when he doesn't feel safe in the pocket, and his accuracy has absolutely plummeted this season.

I agree that there is nobody on our staff that has shown me that they can coach and improve a quarterback’s stock. NOBODY. So unless he gets outside coaching, I’m afraid the things you mention in your second paragraph won’t be fixed.

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The not a “leader” part is what I found interesting....if Freeze or another reputable QB coach joined up I’d highly recommend he stay. He is a good QB but another season could be an asset to him. I’d rather see JS return instead of KB coming in...

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JS has got to be kicking himself for coming to AU.   Whether to give it a try in the NFL or at a school with an O-line, he should leave AU if he wants to salvage his QB dreams.    The sooner JS removes himself from The QB Destroyer's influence and gets some real coaching, the better for JS.  It's not like Gusbot is going to make proper use of him, anyway.

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2 minutes ago, PigskinPat said:

I agree that there is nobody on our staff that has shown me that they can coach and improve a quarterback’s stock. NOBODY. So unless he gets outside coaching, I’m afraid the things you mention in your second paragraph won’t be fixed.

I agree but he has to fix some parts of his game as well. He had a great online to stand behind last season, not so much this year. Maybe he was not prepared to be running for his life. But nevertheless I think another year of school will be an asset for him.

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1 minute ago, AURealist said:

JS has got to be kicking himself for coming to AU.   Whether to give it a try in the NFL or at a school with an O-line, he should leave AU if he wants to salvage his QB dreams.    The sooner JS removes himself from The QB Destroyer's influence and gets some real coaching, the better for JS.  It's not like Gusbot is going to make proper use of him, anyway.

How do you feel about his utilization last season? Was he used incorrectly/ correctly in your opinion....serious question. I know Gus is no QB guru but he put up legit numbers last season. So how did that happen?

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9 minutes ago, PoetTiger said:

How do you feel about his utilization last season? Was he used incorrectly/ correctly in your opinion....serious question. I know Gus is no QB guru but he put up legit numbers last season. So how did that happen?

He should have went pro after last season. 

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Just now, PoetTiger said:

How do you feel about his utilization last season? Was he used incorrectly/ correctly in your opinion....serious question. I know Gus is no QB guru but he put up legit numbers last season. So how did that happen?

Stidham was used somewhat effectively last season, but he just doesn't seem a good fit for Gus' offense.  

AU's Offensive line is not likely to be much better next year and Gus does not change his offense to accommodate his roster, so why would we expect JS to do any better next season than he is right now?  And if he does no better, he's not going to be playing in the NFL.

Does JS look better or worse this year than last?  If anything, he's regressing.  The next step here is getting hurt and playing hurt.  So, IMO, if JS wants a football career after college, he should move on and get some coaching from someone who can provide it.

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IMO Stid is done with Auburn and Auburn should be done with him.  This has been a very frustrating year for Stid and that frustration started early.  In the Arky game, when we either got a delay of game penalty or took a TO before the penalty could happen, Stid would just throw the ball down in frustration.  Something was not right in the relationship with Stid and the coaching staff.  He has shown not fire save the last 7 minutes of the T A&M game and was somewhat nonchalant during the UGA game.  Can that be turned around with a coach that also doesn’t have any fire?  

Having a new OC could help, but would that help?  Stid would be taking a huge leap of faith to stay.  The article stated that, perception wise, it would be a mistake to go to another school.  I disagree.  If he went to a school desperate for a QB and balled out, his NFL stock would rise.

Of course the real question is; is Stid serious about playing in the NFL?  We assume so, but his future may not go in that direction.

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31 minutes ago, PigskinPat said:

I agree that there is nobody on our staff that has shown me that they can coach and improve a quarterback’s stock. NOBODY. So unless he gets outside coaching, I’m afraid the things you mention in your second paragraph won’t be fixed.

I'm with you Pat, not one person on this current staff appears capable of helping mold a QB.  And didn't we all hear that when Chip was hired, Gus started allowing outside coaching and training for his QBs?

I have a soft spot for our QBs, I can't help but think they could've performed really well in other programs.  And I wonder if a guy like Stid looks back a regrets his decision to play for this staff when he had other viable options at the time?  Then I wonder what kind of sales pitch our coaches use to hook these guys?  

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That article is just dumb.  JS is going to look very good at the combine.  And any team evaluating him is going to understand that his O-line was a dumpster fire.

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7 minutes ago, Butthead said:

That article is just dumb.  JS is going to look very good at the combine.  And any team evaluating him is going to understand that his O-line was a dumpster fire.

100% agree. The o-line hasn't given protection, and the routes take too long to develop. Stidham would throw for 4,000 yards under a guy like Mike Leach or Dana Holgersen.

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51 minutes ago, Zeek said:

He's not a leader on the sideline, he's not a "competitor", he becomes a petrified kid when he doesn't feel safe in the pocket, and his accuracy has absolutely plummeted this season.

You are correct. He has trouble seeing the field and misses open receivers at key times. Regardless, he is gone no matter what. He has the "measurables" that the NFL loves. Imagine him in the Pac 12 or the Big 12 offense this year - he would have killed it. The SEC is just hard.  

I think it will be interesting to see what happens with his NFL career. I wish the best for him. 

As far as QB training, my understanding is that he did get outside training during the off-season. He attended several QB camps, etc. In the past Gus was against it but he changed course.

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9 minutes ago, Butthead said:

That article is just dumb.  JS is going to look very good at the combine.  And any team evaluating him is going to understand that his O-line was a dumpster fire.

So you assume every NFL team out there has an O line ready to protect him against NFL defenses?

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2 minutes ago, aucanucktiger said:

So you assume every NFL team out there has an O line ready to protect him against NFL defenses?

of course not, but every NFL GM knows they ain't winning with a dumpster fire O line regardless of their QB.

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1 hour ago, Zeek said:

This is essentially the argument I've been making since early this season. I don't think he should go pro and I wouldn't recommend to him to do so. However, it seems pretty well known that he is going to leave. If we had a different staff maybe I'd think that we could make him better next year but I don't see it and I doubt Stidham does either. It's unlikely at this point that some of his character traits are going to change.

He's not a leader on the sideline, he's not a "competitor", he becomes a petrified kid when he doesn't feel safe in the pocket, and his accuracy has absolutely plummeted this season.

Here is the only sales pitch I see for Stidham to a NFL team, "he's a handsome well spoken drama free guy with great measurables". Honestly I think he could be a rather serviceable backup for a number of years but I can't see him being in the Brady/Newton/Rogers/Roethlisberger roles of carrying a team.

I hope for the best but, as of now, I just don't see the NFL being to promising for Stidham.

For the record, whether or not Stidham will leave is not really “known.” People are pretending to know, but I doubt if even Stidham knows what he’s going to do yet.

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17 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

You are correct. He has trouble seeing the field and misses open receivers at key times. Regardless, he is gone no matter what. He has the "measurables" that the NFL loves. Imagine him in the Pac 12 or the Big 12 offense this year - he would have killed it. The SEC is just hard.  

I think it will be interesting to see what happens with his NFL career. I wish the best for him. 

As far as QB training, my understanding is that he did get outside training during the off-season. He attended several QB camps, etc. In the past Gus was against it but he changed course.

I assume someone who spent his summer going to 3 summer QB camps is serious about going pro.  

I wonder if what he learned  supplemented or contradicted Gus' teaching.

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The only advice I would be comfortable giving Stidham is his standing on the sidelines smiling and laughing while his team is getting its butt beat is VERY bad optics.  If he pulls that stunt in the pros I suspect some teammates are going to give him a sobering education. 

Frankly, I lost a lot of respect for him when I saw that.  I question whether he is truly invested in our team.  

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Time for both parties to move on tbh. And if I was Stidham , after the Alabama game, I would be getting ready for the combine. 

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8 minutes ago, AURealist said:

I assume someone who spent his summer going to 3 summer QB camps is serious about going pro.  

I wonder if what he learned  supplemented or contradicted Gus' teaching.

Regardless, he should get his money back!

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Just now, Zeek said:

Regardless, he should get his money back!

I dunno.  Maybe the coaching JS received was in metric and doesn't mesh well with Gus' Imperial system.

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Maybe he would be better off to be a late round pick rather than a first rounder burdened with very high expectations. He might be drafted by a team that would

give him a few years to develop. He clearly needs to correct some things but I am not sure all of the issues are fixable. NFL scouts and coaches will have their own

opinion concerning how correctable some of the issues are and that will determine his draft status. My guess is that he declares for the draft.

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